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Elective Structure in the USA



The United States is a ______ union of 50 states, with District of Columbia as the seat of the ______ government. The Constitution outlines ______ of the national government and specifies its powers and activities. Other government activities are the _______ of the individual states, which have their own ______ and ______ . Within each state there are counties, town ships, cities and villages, each of which has its own elective ______.

All government in the United States is «of, by and for the people». Members of Congress, the President, state officials and those who _______ counties and cities _______ by popular vote. The President _______ the heads of federal departments while judges are either _______ directly by the people or ______ by elected officials. ______ mark unsigned ballots in private booths, so that no one else can find out for whom a citizen ______ . Public officials may ______ for failing to perform their duties properly, as well as for serious ______ of law.

Exercise 4. Election Campaign. Role Play

Imagine you are a candidate of one of the major parties: you have already been elected your party’s official candidate for the presidency. Write your programme and organize your election campaign. Persuade as many people in the as possible to vote for you. Use the vocabulary of the unit.

Exercise 5. Translate from Russian into English:

1. В Российской Федерации президент избирается на 6 лет в настоящее время.

2. Депутаты в Государственную Думу Российской Федерации избираются на 5 лет.

3. Президент США избирается на 4-летний срок.

4. Каждый сенатор в США избирается на 6 лет.

5. Члены Парламента Великобритании избираются на 5 лет.

6. Премьер-министр Великобритании назначает дату очередных всеобщих (general) выборов.

7. В Америке сенатором может быть избран гражданин США в возрасте 30 лет, являющийся гражданином не менее 9 лет.

8. Члены Палаты Общин в Великобритании избираются в 650 избирательных округах.

9. Впервые в РФ выборы в местные органы управления с помощью Интернет-голосования были проведены в Новомосковске Тульской области в 2008 году.

10. На выборах президента РФ в марте 2012 года впервые были использованы veb-камеры на всех избирательных участках.

 

TOPIC 11: HUMAN RIGHTS

Exercise 1. Before reading the text explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

rights and freedoms, democracy, liberties, individual freedoms, Declaration of Human Rights, social security, national insurance, the right to work, to protect, to prevent, well-being of citizens

 

Human Rights

The problem of human rights is one of the most important issues in the history of the world. It is a matter of liberties rather than rights. A right exists where there is a positive law on the subject, a liberty where there is no law against it.

The problem of human rights is of great importance in Britain. Respect for individual freedoms forms a cornerstone of Britain’s democratic system. British public opinion is concerned about violations of human rights throughout the world. The British Government regards the observation of human rights and their protection as an important element of its foreign policy.

These rights and freedoms are listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. They include the right to: work; an adequate standard of living; social security; education; the highest health care standards; form and join trade unions, etc.

Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment and to protection against unemployment. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, housing and medical care. The social security system aims to provide financial help to elderly, sick, unemployed people. Everyone has the right to education. Education should be free, at least in the fundamental stages. The National Health Service provides health care to all residents. Treatment is financed mainly out of general taxation.

There are a lot of international agreements, treaties, conventions to protect and increase civil liberties: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, etc. All these documents protect civil liberties; observe the fundamental human rights and freedoms.

New words:

- issue — вопрос; проблема;

- cornerstone — краеугольный камень;

- to concern — касаться; беспокоиться; заниматься;

- violation — нарушение;

- to regard — рассматривать; относиться;

- unemployment — безработица;

- to aim — стремиться; намереваться;

- resident — житель;

- treatment — лечение;

- restriction — ограничение.

Questions to the text:

1. Do you agree that the problem of human rights is of great importance? Why?

2. Where does a right exist? Where does a liberty exist?

3. What is a cornerstone of British democratic system?

4. How does the British Government regard the problem of human rights?

5. What are the main rights and freedoms included in the Declaration?

6. When was the Declaration adopted?

7. What do we mean by the right to an adequate standard of living?

8. What service provides health care to all citizens?

9. Are there any treaties or conventions to protect civil liberties?

10. What rights and freedoms are the most important for you personally?

 

Exercise 2. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. Any civilized society regards the problem of human rights as the most important one.

2. In English law there is no written constitution to concern individual freedoms.

3. The British Government pays great attention to the observation of human rights and their protection.

4. The European Convention of Human Rights is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5. The problem of human rights is a matter of liberties rather than rights.

6. The European Convention is concerned mainly with civil and political rights.

7. The rights included in the Convention are the right to life, the right to liberty and security of person, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right for private life, etc.

8. Any civilized society tries to minimize the restriction upon an individual’s freedom.

9. In international law there are some documents for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

10. The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was adopted on 3 September, 1953.

 

Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with the words given below, translate the text into Russian: member, defines, was adopted, include, came into force, institution, international, was formed, fundamental







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